Less than 10% of people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it publishes its first recommendations on the medications.
With over a billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to universal availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the present most optimistic case, the manufacturing of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The guideline urges countries and companies to expand availability, via approaches including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so users consume fewer calories.
Patients commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Research indicates people may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the treatment, when their usual food cravings come back.
Being overweight or obese increases your chance for contracting health problems, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight affects people in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
